Members of the Nigerian Political Scientists Association (NPSA) have said the country is in the throes of a governance crisis that straddles the political and economic spheres.
The association in a statement signed by its president, Prof Hassan Saliu, and made available to newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State, said the crisis threatens the livelihoods of the majority of Nigerians and the stability of the nation.
“It (the crisis) appears to be at its worst point since its (Nigeria) transition to democratic rule in 1999,” it added.
NIPSA said though the country has been able to conduct regular and periodic elections after turning away from decades of authoritarian military rule, democracy has not translated into inclusive growth because the security and welfare of citizens have been sidelined by successive elected governments.
It added that, “If anything, there has been a worsening of development outcomes as indicated by deepening multi-dimensional poverty. Currently, we are witnesses to spontaneous public outcries and demonstrations in protest of rising cost of living as major government policies fuel inflation, while eroding the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.
“Surviving a bitterly fought general election in 2023 with ethno-regional divisive undertones, it is expected that the mantra of national unity and elite consensus on major policy issues would take the centre stage. But what the country has witnessed is a dramatic worsening of living conditions that generates apprehension in citizens regarding the prospect of national stability and the achievement of decent and dignified life. We are witnesses to the free fall of the country’s currency, leading to exponential increase in the costs of imported goods.
Food prices have skyrocketed due partly to the increase in the pump prices of petrol. The steep decline in real wages and growing insecurity in cities and on the highways have created a sense of helplessness among Nigerians.”
The association noted that these developments have plunged the middle class and the urban poor into conditions of a Hobbesian nightmare of huge proportions.
“The spiral of uncertainty, exacerbated by the complicit role of the legislature at both national and sub-national levels in its failure to reign in the executive branch, all point to a looming severe legitimacy crisis capable of derailing our struggling democracy or bring it to immense grief.
“The Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) having reflected on the chains of events that have unfolded in the past few months, and in keeping with her mandate to continually audit the performance of the Nigerian state in fulfillment of its obligations to Nigerian citizens, and in furtherance of the imperatives of public accountability, consistent with the expectations of a democracy, issues this statement on ‘The Unbearable Cost of Living in Nigeria.
“The nation is experiencing a rapid escalation in the cost of living, which is unparalleled and concerning. This rise is attributed to various issues, such as the significant decline in the real sectors of the economy, the sharp increase in food prices due to the elimination of fuel subsidies, and the escalation in the operations of non-state armed groups, each with distinct regional characteristics. The situation at hand is both fascinating and disquieting.
“The nation is currently utilizing more funds than its entire revenue to manage its public debts, resorting to borrowing from both domestic and foreign sources to finance its national budgets. In addition, the country is struggling to fulfill its OPEC quota of 1.8 million barrels of crude oil daily, with nearly 700,000 barrels being lost daily to oil theft.
“Although these challenges may seem predominantly economic in nature, addressing them effectively demands a combination of political determination and carefully crafted public policies,” it said.
NPSA, however, said that despite its limitations in terms of overall performance, democracy in Nigeria still offers a more hopeful prospect for comprehensive growth and development than any conceivable alternative.
